Catching a Scottish spring salmon on the fly is the ultimate achievement in our wonderful sport. These magnificent fish enter our rivers between the months of January and the end of May. Scottish spring salmon also known as springers are extremely powerful and often larger in size compared to their summer counterparts. These fish are renowned for their excellent hard fighting qualities and strength. So what are the best tactics to employ when chasing these elusive fish? The first thing to remember is that the fresh spring salmon (a fish that has been in the river for no longer that forty eight hours) are by nature extremely aggressive and highly likely to take a fly. What makes the job more difficult is that early in the season there are not an abundance of fish in the rivers so finding a fish can be challenging. What many people say is that the fresh springer is the easiest fish to catch but the most difficult fish to find.
In terms of tactics it is important to remember that normally during the early part of the season often water temperatures are low and river levels are high. It is therefore important that the fly gets down in the water column and close to where the fish may be lying. This can be done in two ways by either using an intermediate or sinking line or using a weighted tube fly. Of course a combination of both can be used to achieve the same effect. It is unlikely that the fish are going to be lying close the surface in very high cold water and so by using an intermediate or sinking line this helps the fly get down. If the river is really high then a sinking line in conjunction with a large copper or brass weighted tube may achieve the desired effect.
When we think about the salmon pool itself it is unlikely that the resting fish are likely to be lying in the fastest parts of the pool. Instead when these fish are stopping to have a rest they are more likely to be sitting maybe just off the main current or in the main body or tails of pools. Any slower water with a reasonable flow and depth can be a likely place for a springer to have rest before it continues its onward upstream journey. This is not to say that you cannot catch springers in fasting flowing parts of a river. If the fish are running then often they can be caught at ambush points or bottle necks on the river where the fish have to maybe go through a much narrow part of river.
If this is the case and you are fishing such a spot then with running fish you may indeed catch them in faster flowing water. In terms of fly patterns in the spring it is probably fair to say that the actual pattern does not really matter too much but more the way the fly is fished. The depth of the fly as well as the speed it is moving through the water is critical. This is where an intermediate or sinking line coupled with a weighted tube fly can help. If you feel that your fly is not getting down enough in the water column or fishing too quickly you can always put an upstream mend in your fly line after casting and this will help the fly sink and slow down the speed at which your fly is moving.
For fly selection there is no need to be too subtle. As we have already said the springer can be a hard fish to find so you want to make sure that you have a fly that can be easily visible to any fish. There for it is important to use a fly of decent size which shows up well in the water. Favourite spring flies in Scotland include patterns like the Willie Gunn, Monkey Fly and Park Shrimp amongst others. These flies are usually fish on weighted tube flies or larger dressed doubles especially if the water is cold.
Finally it also important to try and cover as much water as possible during your day’s fishing as you are trying to find a fish. The fish maybe anywhere in the beat. Instead of fishing the same pool three or four times it may be worth fishing as many pools you have access to so there is a greater chance that fresh springer will see your fly. If you can get your fly to fish at the correct speed and depth in a pool and cover the most likely spots this is half the battle. Combining this with using a highly visible fly and covering as much water as possible during your day’s fishing greatly increases your chances of catching that big Scottish springer on the fly!
Taymount House, Caputh, Perthshire, PH1 4JJ
+44 (0) 1738 850 607
USA/Canada Toll Free 1 (800) 917-0840
info@salmonfishingholidaysscotland.com
We are an affiliate partner of Guide Fly Fishing and proudly endorsed by several renowned fishing tackle brands.
